Sakura's Favorite Season
by cact5656
Summary: A collection of One-Shots involving the Akatsuki And Sakura. "Winter was definitely her favorite season."
1. Chapter 1

**I haven't been online for awhile, and have had a case of severe writers block. So to get me back in the writing mood, im doing some one-shots! And of course its with my favorite pairing, AkatsukixSakura! Hopefully, this will get me in the mood to update Floating Petal, so lets cross our fingers! ****J**** This story will be a collection of one-shots based off of the winter season. Im going to do ****seven ****pairings, which means ****seven**** one-shots. This first chapter will be HidanxSakura since I have got such an urge to write them all romanced up. This means that they are six chapters left. SO hit up that review box with your favorite members, and tell me who you want in the future chapters!**

**#1: Heathens, all of em!**

Sakura Haruno loves Christmas. She also loves winter. Once the first snowflake hit's the ground, the nostalgia creeps into her mind, and it's a wonderful feeling to her. Sakura has few memories of winter, since Konoha's weather usually doesn't involve snow. But the memories Sakura does have of winter, are some of her favorite memories. One of the few times snowflakes came to Konoha, was when Sakura was eight years old.

_Little tiny feet padded quickly across the wooden floor, rushing to get outside. Sakura didn't know what it was that was all over her yard, but she wanted to find out. Running over to the door, she slipped on her sandals, and ran outside. As soon as her little toes hit the icy flakes, she squealed in surprise. She also then shivered when she felt a cold blast of wind hit her face. She dashed back inside and quickly fumbled up the stairs. _

_Slamming the door to her mother's bedroom open, Sakura ran in and jumped on top of her now awake mom's mattress. Her mother groaned and sat up, still not fully awake. "What are you doing Sakura? It's to early to be waking mommy up." Her mother grumbled. "But mom! Its white outside! And its really cold too! Come and look, come and look!" Sakura exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly. Her mother smiled at her daughters excitement and curiosity and stood up. She walked over to the window with Sakura pushing her from behind._

"_See mommy! What is that stuff anyway?" Sakura asked as her mother looked at the window. Her mother bent over and lifted Sakura up, balancing her on her hip with an arm around her waist. _

"_That, my little blossom, is snow." An awed expression came across Sakura's face. "Snow is really pretty, mommy." Sakura whispered. "Its as pretty as you Sakura." Her mother whispered back, smiling at her daughter. Sakura's face broke out in a happy grin. "I love you mommy!"_

So of course on her favorite holiday Sakura had to be assigned a mission. In the middle of her oh so joyous breakfast of pine tree shaped brownies and milk, Sakura was oh so joyously interrupted by the knocking on her door. SO she oh so joyously answered the door to see a messenger. This messenger oh so joyously told her that she had been assigned a mission from the hokage, to oh so joyously track out some guy all the way out near the oh so joyous Suna. So Sakura oh so joyously slammed the door in the messengers face, and stomped off to her room to oh so joyously pack her bags.

(If you hadn't noticed, her day was anything but joyous.)

After having her morning so rudely ruined, Sakura had gotten in a _very_ bad mood. She grabbed extra of all the necessities she would need since it was going to be **'**_**a freakin' four day trip! ' **_and stormed out of the house and all the way past Konoha's gates. Of course it had to be her of ALL the people Tsunade could've chosen from. She was going to kill her shishou when she was done with this god damn mission.

**XxXxXxXxX(Three Days Into The Mission)xXxXxXxXx**

Sakura's flaming anger had simmered down to a few burning coals. It's not like it was a big deal anyway, there was no one at home wishing to celebrate with her. She had no family, sweethearts, or even pets. All her friends were celebrating with their family, and were to busy to celebrate with each other. Naruto even had someone to celebrate with, his beloved sensei, Kakashi. Sakura knew that their celebrations were probably just going to consist of a ramen feast, and Kakashi reading Icha Icha. She still wished she could celebrate with them too, though.

Hearing a scream rip through the air, Sakura was torn from her thoughts. She had heard of an Akatsuki spotting near the area while passing through one of the towns. She prayed that this was not one of them. Jumping into the trees, she leaped from branch to branch to the area that the scream originated from. She stopped when she felt the presence of a very strong chakra, and immediately masked hers. Hearing the scream again, Sakura moved forward onto the branch in front of her and peered through the leaves.

Spotting the black cloak adorned with red clouds, she halted in her spot, and held her breath. There lay the member, speared through the middle. A kunai was embedded deep into his left upper thigh, and a shuriken in the juncture of his right elbow. Blood pooled from his injuries and Sakura had to hold herself back from jumping down to help the man. The snow-less ground around the criminal was quickly turning crimson.

The mans closed eyes snapped open again and he screamed out again. When Sakura heard from this close, it actually sort of sounded like… a moan. The mans voice was very throaty, so it was hard to tell. She could see the male's silver hair gleaming from where she crouched. Sakura scooted forward more to see the man's features. Sakura had forgotten exactly what she had been placed on, and had crashed down to the ground below her,

"I was wondering how long you were going to hide up there." Sakura snapped up from the indented ground and immediately went into a defensive stance. Sakura glared at the man in front of her, and he chuckled. "Calm down pinky, im not going to touch you," He said and she glared even harder. "That is, unless, you want me to?" The man said with a quirk of his eyebrow and a smirk. Sakura's cheeks immediately turned red and she sputtered. She could now see the features of the male in front of her, and he was actually quite handsome. It only made her blush more.

"Already falling for me huh? And we haven't even gotten on a first name basis." The violet eyed man ripped the shuriken out of his elbow and sat up, the spear in his stomach moving with him. He extended out his hand, the blood from his elbow dripping onto the ground in thick droplets. "The names Hidan." He said, a predatory grin coming across his face. Sakura had to hold back a gag, she could've sworn she saw his entrails when he sat up.

"What you don't like blood, pinky?" Hidan asked innocently. Wiping his finger over the blood covered ground, he lifted it to his mouth and licked it. Sakura had to admit, it was one of the most disgustingly sexy things she had ever seen and could've sworn she felt a drop of blood come out of one of her nostrils. "Just shut up and let me heal you." She said hurriedly, and knelt beside him. Placing her hands over the puncture wound in his elbow she began to pour healing chakra into him. "How are you still alive anyway?" Sakura asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Im a Jashinist, I worship Jashin, the one and only greatest god. In return, he lets me live forever." Hidan said happily, glad that he was able to share the greatness that was Jashin. Sakura saw how happy he was and actually smiled at his enthusiasm. This guy was actually sort of cute. Placing his arm back on the ground. She looked at the spear through his abdomen. "This is going to hurt, so brace yourself." Sakura said, moving over to sit on his middle, and placing her hands around the pole section of the weapon. Hidan's eyes widened at the compromising position and blushed heavily. He was happy she wasn't looking at his face, because he betted he looked like a tomato.

As she began to slowly pull the spear out of his stomach, Hidan had to slap a hand over his nose as he felt the blood rush out of it. Sakura's face was contorted into concentration, and she grunted as she tried to pull the spear out without damaging his organs. She didn't even know what she was doing to him at the moment, and he was glad that Sakura wasn't sitting down on that part of his body, because it would have been very embarrassing for the both of them.

Hidan lifted his arm and quickly ripped the spear out of his stomach, throwing it off to the side, and placed his hand back over his nose. "Hey! Now its going to take even longer to heal your stomach! Why did you do that!" Sakura asked in outrage. Hidan grunted and looked away. "You were taking to long." He said, eyes still focused to the side. She sighed and began healing his middle. Hidan almost breathed out in relief when he felt his little 'problem' go away.

Finishing the job on his stomach she moved to his leg. Pulling out the kunai as fast as she could, she immediately went to work on it. Luckily it was a minor injury, and only took a small amount of time. Sakura huffed and wiped her hands on her black shorts, trying to get the dirt and blood off them. "You know, you never told me your name pinky." Hidan said as he began to stand, and wiped off his nose, successfully cleaning it before she could see. Sakura also stood and glanced over at him. "It's Sakura, and don't I get a thanks? I still have a mission to finish and now im exhausted from healing your mangled body." Sakura said with a huff crossing her arms.

Hidan walked over to her and Sakura blushed at the close proximity between them. "Thanks, Sakura." He whispered, and Sakura gulped. Hidan quickly ducked his head forward, and pressed his lips against hers. Sakura gasped, and felt something settle around her neck. "Im going to need that back, so make sure you find me." Hidan said as he pulled away. Sakura glanced down and saw the rosary that he had been wearing earlier around her neck. Looking back up, Hidan was gone, and she smiled.

Winter was _definitely _her favorite season.

**So did you like it? Leave me your thoughts, and don't forget to vote for next chapter! ****J**


	2. Chapter 2

**This story will be a collection of one-shots based off of the winter season. Im going to do ****seven ****pairings, which means ****seven**** one-shots. There are five one-shots left, so vote for your favorite pairing to be in the next one-shot. This chapter will be ItaSaku **

**Warning: AU and Non-Massacre**

**#2: Training**

Uchiha Itachi _hates _winter. Everyone is so cheerful, even though they have no feeling throughout their whole bodies. The civilian's think it to be one of the most happiest times of the year, and sing songs, and bake pastries. Even shinobi like this season, which he doesn't understand, because this should be the worst holiday for a ninja. There are missions assigned left and right, mostly to escort others to their families who live a fair distance away. Those are also the missions Itachi hates the most. Always having to listen to the person your escorting about how their feet hurt, or how they were cold.

He hated it all.

He had stealthily escaped the Uchiha home earlier, and was now on his way to his favorite training grounds. He felt the sting of the cold on his arms, since he had forgotten to garb any sort of warm attire. He didn't really care though, he had gotten used to the cold. He felt the chilled grass of the training grounds crunch under his feet, and sighed in content. This was the only place he could feel relaxed.

Stretching his arms above his head, he felt the tension leak out of his shoulders. Time to train.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Sakura shuffled through her apartment, her feet in slippers and her shoulders wrapped tightly with a blanket. Her furnace had conveniently decided to break on the first day of winter, so her house was almost just as cold as it was outside. Arriving at her kitchen, she shuffled up to the cupboard and pulled out a bag of mini-marshmallows and a packet of hot cocoa mix. The only way to stay warm, in Sakura's opinion, was a hot cup of cocoa. Preparing a cup and putting in the microwave, she went to her living room a plopped down on the couch. Grabbing the remote, she turned onher T.V., but didn't pay much attention to it, and let her mind wander.

Winter was her favorite holiday, it always had been. But it always made her heart clench a bit when she realized she had no one to spend it with. All throughout winter all you see are couples holding each other and cuddling, and the cheesy attempts under the mistletoe. Not once had she ever had someone try to kiss her under the mistletoe. A frown marred her features, but she didn't notice.

Was there something wrong with her? Did she-

_**BOOOMMM!**_

Crap! She had forgotten about her cocoa! Bolting up from the couch, she rushed over to the horrible chocolate mess in her kitchen.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Itachi halted in his training after hearing the loud noise that just occurred near him. Hearing the beeping of a fire alarm, he looked over at the near apartments, and saw one that was very familiar to him. His little brother's female teammate's apartment and it was the one that was disturbing the peace. He decided it would be best to help, since there was visible smoke wafting out of her kitchen window. Sprinting over to her home, he knocked on her door. He heard a loud crash and a curse erupt from within the house. The door was thrown open, and the pink haired female stood in his midst.

A blush spread over her cheeks. "Ah, hello Itachi-san… Do you need something? Nows not the best time…." Sakura muttered, embarrassed. "I came over to see if everything was alright, Haruno-san," Itachi peeked over her shoulder. "Which it doesn't seem so…" He said, his face asking for an explanation. Sakura's blush grew. "Well, um, you see… there was…and I… !" Sakura quickly said. "But, but it's fine now so you don't need to worry…" Sakura scratched the back of head. Itachi smirked.

"Do I make you nervous, Haruno?" Her face was now pure red. "Y-you! Don't be stupid!" Sakura yelled. Itachi's smirk just grew. "Have a good day, Miss Haruno." He walked away and waved over his shoulder.

"Stupid cocky little…." Itachi heard her mutter. He chuckled. This girl amused him.

Sakura watched as he walked away and blushed.

Her microwave should blow up more often.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

**Did you like it? XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, I ditched this for a long time, I apologize ****L**

**This chapter will be Tobi/MadaSaku, even though Tobi is no longer Madara. Theres also some slight NaruSaku, but its mostly on the friendship side. I cant give you any steady date as to when I'll update, but I'll try as soon as possible. Remember to leave a request for what you'd like in the following chapters, there are 4 left! :D**

**#3: Stay Lost**

Sakura's lungs felt like sandpaper each time she had an intake of breath. There was flames all around her, destroying everything in it's path. She literally was watching her own world burn down in front of her. Her own home. The worst thing was, she was incapable of stopping it.

Everyone was gone. Everybody.

Naruto, Sasuke, Tsunade, Gaara, Ino, everyone. She'd tried to heal him, Naruto.

_She had failed with everyone else, but she couldn't fail with him. He was all she had. He had been injured, badly. Blood was coming form everywhere, she couldn't figure out where to stop it. So she pumped healing chakra, almost all of it, into his body hoping it would help. All her training had flown out the window, she had panicked, trying to do whatever she could to survive. _

_She began to become desperate. Naruto was looking at her, his eyes glazing over with every second. She felt tears gather in her eyes, but she held it back. If she cried she'd lose whatever calm she had left. Naruto could see her desperation. She stared at him, and then whispered, her voice hoarse, "I'm going to do it, Naruto. The jutsu Granny Chiyo used. If you die I'll use it…. I'd rather die than lose you forever."_

_Naruto began to fade, and he saw her begin the seals for the jutsu. "Sakura, stop." He whispered. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "I can't lose you!" She yelled. He sadly smiled at her. "Everything happens for a reason Sakura. I want you to live, and start off somewhere new. And at least I got to be by you before I leave." "NO! You're not leaving, you're not going anywhere!" She said, her voice cracking, her calm flying away from her. _

"_Sakura, Promise me you'll live.." _

_She couldn't refuse him._

_Silently, Naruto handed her the necklace Tsunade had given him. Tears slipped down her cheeks, as she gently took it from his hand. "Naruto…please." She whispered, holding his hand. "Good Bye Sakura-chan.." And Naruto's eyes fluttered close, his chest falling with his last breath. Sakura choked back sobs as tears ran down her face. She screamed his name, hoping for him to awaken. But he was gone._

_She held Naruto for what seemed like hours. Finally, getting up, she felt the heat of fire, coming closer. She quickly got up. She wasn't leaving him here. He at least deserved a proper burial. _

_Kissing his forehead and shutting his eyes, she grabbed his body trying to take it somewhere farther away, somewhere peaceful for him to rest. But she had used all her strength trying to heal him, and she felt him slip out of her arms. _

_She could barely carry him. She watched as the flames grew closer, licking at his toes. She muffled her sobs as she knew what she would have to do. "Im sorry Naruto, but I promised.." And she ran from his body as saw the flames begin to engulf him. She couldn't watch._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Tears flooded her eyes once more as she remembered that horrible moment. It had been two days since then, and she didn't fully know if she could keep her promise. She didn't have any supplies, and she hadn't seen anyone for these two days. Just ashes, flames, and destruction.

After another day of traveling, Sakura felt like giving up. There truly was nobody left, she was one of the few here. She'd be gone too though if it continued like this. She stared ahead of her. Just more smoke and ash. More destruction. Was there anything out there, past it? It didn't seem like it. With the little tiny chakra she had, she would heal her longs a tiny bit every 2 hours. She would've been dead long ago if she wasn't a medic.

For hours she walked, and hope began to fill her. The farther she walked, the less ash and flames. Less destruction. But her stomach growled in pain, her body was growing weak. She would try to make it. She wanted to at least die on grass. Not coals and ash. After a few more hours, the sun started to set again. And as she felt as if her body was about to collapse, she saw a figure.

She yelled. She screamed. She called to them.

Enemy or not, it was a person. She had found someone else. Besides, she didn't think anyone could be considered an enemy anymore. They were all in the same situation, the war had spread almost everywhere.

The figure turned, hearing what sounded like a voice call to them. IT was cracked and very hoarse though. As if they had been crying, or hadn't spoken for days. Her heart leaped with joy as she saw that the figure had heard her. With what little strength she had, she ran forward.

As she got closer, she began to speak knowing he would hear her. "I've been traveling for days, I thought I was the only one who had survived! Im so happy I found someone else! Are there others? Where have you been staying? Are yo-" She stopped when she finally got closer and could see him.

He stared at her through is mask. His powerful eyes piercing her. Sakura's eyes went wide, her body filling with fear and anger. "You.." She said quietly, the words laced with venom. He continued to stare at her, stepping forward, getting closer. Sakura began to back away but stopped when he spoke. "Wait, please, I need answers.." She looked at him hesitantly. His voice… sounded confused. Lost.

Like her.

She stayed, nodding for him to explain. "I-I.. I cant remember who I am. I woke up in the middle of that… place." He gestured to the destruction behind her. "I traveled far, and made it to a village, they screamed and yelled when they saw me, they chased me away. A little boy told me he hated my eyes. Why are my eyes different? Do you know me, my name?"

Sakura stared at him, shocked.

"…Why do the people I meet hate me? What did I do that was so horrible?"

Sakura looked at him. She was confused as to what she should feel. She too, feels hate towards this man. But… this one isn't the same as the one she met on the battlefield. He has emotion. She can feel it.

"You said you woke up there?" She asked, pointing behind her. He nodded. "that's the result of a war. Almost everyone died.. I survived. I don't know anyone else who did, except for you. But you were supposed to die." She told him. He stared at her, looking slightly frightened in a way, but curious. Sakura coughed, her lungs feeling scratchy again. They were still breathing in ash and smoke. She felt as if the energy was draining with every second.

"Oh! Im sorry, you're probably hungry and tired. Here, follow me." He went to grab her hand to pull her along, but she pulled it back. Hurt flashed in his eyes. She hated him too. Sakura saw the emotion in his eyes. She felt horrible, she felt things for this murderer.

But then again, he's lost. Like her.

She looked at him hesitantly, and then put her hand in his, allowing him to guide her. He looked at her, eyes widening. And then turned back, seeming almost happy.

Sakura could've sworn, if he wasn't wearing that mask, that he was grinning.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

He brought her to a cottage, in the middle of the woods. "I found this, when they chased me away, its abandoned, I cleaned it." He told her quietly. She looked at the grass beneath her feet, and couldn't help thinking how wonderful it was. Hearing rustling behind him, he looked back at her. She had taken off her boots and gloves, and had sat down in the grass, feeling it. He felt a small laugh come up in his chest, but he held it back with a small smile hidden behind his mask.

He walked up to the door, holding it open for her, walking inside, he shut the door behind her. "You can go ahead and sit down on the couch, I'll go make something for you." Sakura stared around the little space as he walked off. It was barely furnished, but it was cozy. She walked over to the couch and plopped down. She sighed, sitting on a cushion never felt so good.

A few minutes later he walked in with a hot bowl of ramen and a glass of water. Setting it down on the small coffee table in front of the couch he plopped down next to her. "Thank you.." She told him, before scarfing down the ramen, not caring that somebody else was there. She then gulped down the water. He chuckled. She looked over at him and blushed, coughing. "Oh, um sorry. I was just really thirsty and hungry." She said looking away. "Its fine, now how about you tell me more about myself? Like for starters, my name?"

Sakura looked at him, becoming serious. "Your name is Madara.. You used to wear a different mask, and would call yourself Tobi.. You tried to destroy my home village. The first time you failed. The second time.. Well you saw it.." She told him, her voice dropping. She was talking to the man who murdered her friends. And yet she felt like she was _with _a friend.

He looked at her, he could feel her sadness. "So.. I killed people?" He asked, feeling horrified of himself. "Yes. You're the reason I watched my best friend die in front of me…" Her voice cracked. Sakura stood up, she didn't want to be here anymore. "Im sorry, I gave you answers, but I cant stay here. Good bye." She began to move for the door. He quickly stood up, and grabbed her wrist. "Wait! Please. You're the only person who has actually talked to me. I need you, I don't want to be alone. Maybe it's better I don't remember my old self. I don't have to be him anymore, I can start new, just please."

"Just Stay with me a little longer. You need someone too."

Sakura's shoulders began to shake as she tried to hold back sobs. He pulled her towards him, hugging her. Her hands fisted in her shirt.

"I don't know what to feel anymore, what to believe in."

He stroked her hair, it was soft. He pulled off his mask, he looked much younger than she thought. A flawless face.

"If you stay here, I can show you."

_-6 months later-_

Sakura never left. He truly was a changed man. He started to remember, but it didn't change anything. Besides, like she had said before, there was no enemies after this war. And she loved him.

"_**everything happens for a reason."**_

**Well! That turned out longer than expected! XD Make sure to review and vote what you want In the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for not updating… I got writers block and fell into a big depression. I'm still in it, and it's getting worse, but I'm using my sadness as my inspiration. So these might start to have some dark themes. Remember to leave a request for what you'd like in the reviews for the next chapters, there are 3 left. This chapter is ZetsuXSakura. It's AU, modern day. Also, WARNING: this one-shot will contain domestic violence. If that's something you can't stand to read, then I suggest you skip this one.

**#4: A Dedication To Decaf**

It started near the end of October. The bell above the door chimed, as a girl walked in. Clad in a purple knit scarf, several jackets, and other thick layers of clothing, she looked like a multi-colored marshmallow. After taking some of the layers off, it was revealed that she was actually a very petite thing. She was quite adorable though, tripping over her own feet, nervously looking around the small coffee shop. It didn't help the poor thing that her pink hair brought some attention of it's own by itself. He decided he would save the poor nervous lamb from what she imagined was a crowd of wolves.

"Hello Miss, can I help you?" He asked, coming up to the counter, his fingers prepared to ring an order into the cash register. She jolted a little then began to stammer, letting out some nervous giggles. "O-oh um, uh.. S-sorry.. I've never been here before. The café I usually go to is being closed down, so I decided to start going here." He nodded; he knew what café she was talking about. "The one down on Whitleck Street? I used to go there when I was in high school for cappuccinos before I went to work. It's a nice place. But is there anything you'd like to order?" He asked. He saw her visibly become relaxed. He had calmed her down. "Oh, haha, um can I get a decaf soy latte? That was my usual." She said, smiling. "Sure, one decaf soy latte coming up." He said smiling. Preparing her drink, he snapped the plastic top on the foam cup, before handing it to her. She handed him her money for the order, and he felt just the slightest tingle in his fingertips when they brushed hers to grab it. Putting the money in the register, he handed her the change, and was surprised to feel just teeniest twinge of disappointment when their fingers didn't touch that time.

"Anything else?" He asked her, a small smile on his face. She smiled back. He noticed her lips were chapped. "No that'll be it, thank you..." She peered at his nametag. "..Zetsu." She said with a grin. He waved goodbye to her, as she walked out of the café, the bell above the door chiming, signaling her exit. He watched some of the eyes in the café follow her, focusing on her pink hair. He sympathized with her. He knew what it was like to be criticized for your looks. He had been born with a skin condition, causing half of his body to be covered in brown splotches, contrasting against his pale skin. He had a particularly large splotch on his face, surrounding part of his eye. Some people were polite enough to ignore it, or just not even bother to care. Some were rude, and stared, and gave rude looks. He hated those people, the judgmental types. He also had some outstanding hair. It was a vibrant, dark green, and no matter how much he tried to dye it, it always came back.

Before he went home that day, he made a mental note. She likes decaf soy lattes.

_xXxXxXxXx_

Mid-November, he continued to serve her the usual. When he saw her pink hair making it's way to the shop, he'd rush out to the counter, and beg whoever was working to let him take their place for just a few moments. He didn't know why. There was something about her that just made him want to see her. She was pretty, yes, but there was something else. The smile. The nervous giggles. The chapped lips. Her voice. Her bubblegum breath. If he could think of thing to describe her, it would be sweet. He was never a big fan of sweet things; he didn't even like his coffee that sweet. He liked strawberries though. That was it. She was like a strawberry to him, one of the most sweetest strawberries there was. And oh, how he would savor that strawberry. Just letting it out of your sight would be a sin. What if someone ran off with it? You had to be careful, and so he was.

On occasion, he would get the chance to talk to her. He would go for a break, and she would sit at a table and they would chat. He had learned her name was Sakura Haruno. She was in medical school; she wanted to be a doctor. The thought of that stammering girl who had walked into the coffee shop performing surgery was a funny image, to say the least. It had made a chuckle pass his lips. She was 19, and he had told her his age also, 20. She was a very nice girl, very sweet like he had thought too. Her temper got the best of her sometimes though. This was also extremely cute.

She continued to visit, and the feelings he had for her escalated with time. She was an amazing woman. He wanted her, he wanted her _very_ badly. He wanted to show her what it was like to be treated like a princess. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and whisper sweet nothings. On occasion though.. He would see sadness in her. She seemed happy, but there was something underneath all those huge layers of clothing, under that wall of skin, something was wrong. She was hiding something. Whenever he got to close, she would flinch, or back away. If he were to raise his hand, her eyes would widen in fear.

He had guessed what was happening, but he wasn't sure. Maybe nothing was happening, maybe it was something from her past. Either way, he wanted to know. He didn't want to see his pink haired angel in so much fear and to look so hurt. She could try to hide it as much as she could, but it was obvious. He had a watchful eye, and even the slightest expressions or actions were imprinted into his mind when it came to her. If he was correct… Sakura was being abused.

_xXxXxXxXx_

The moment he had been watching for, had finally shown itself. The winter cold was dwindling away, and all that was left was the occasional chilly breeze. There was no more snow on the ground, and the plants were beginning to green again. It was spring, and he had been anxiously waiting for this season. As soon as spring came, Sakura wouldn't have to wear as much layers. No, it's not that he desires so much to see her skin that he would even revel in the sight of her arms (Even though, slightly he would, she would look so delectable in short sleeves). He was waiting for the moment to see if she had any bruises.

It was a worrying thought. Zetsu didn't like the idea of someone even coming close to hurting her emotionally. If someone had hurt her physically… He didn't know what he would do. He'd probably go on a tirade, demanding to know who it was, so he could hurt them even worse than they hurt Sakura. He was hoping that she wasn't actually being abused. The thought was painful to him. How could someone hit someone as sweet, and amazing as her? What type of monster would you have to be to hurt her? He was begging whatever god there was that she wasn't being put through such torture, that it was just her past.

When she had come in again to order her usual coffee, he saw it. The faint purple mark on the near left of her jaw. She had covered it with powder, but he could still see the faint color. It was a bruise. In his mind, he was already devising a plan to bring hell to whomever did it. She looked at him, and he saw it. Her eyes were draining. Whoever was hurting her was sucking the life out of her. She was slowly becoming empty, numb, and he would do whatever he could to save her. He wouldn't let her turn into some lifeless shell. His gaze was intense towards her. "Sakura.. How about we go talk for a little bit?" He suggested, and handed her order to her. He saw the flash of worry and paranoia in her eyes, but it was immediately covered with an innocent façade. One that was pretending nothing had happened to her.

"Oh, sure! What do you want to talk about Zetsu?" She said, with an overly naïve smile. It was fake, but he would indulge her pretending for the moment, till they were alone so he could ask what happened. He wouldn't let this continue. He _would _save her and nothing was going to get in his way. "Oh, nothing much, I just want to chat. Let's go for a walk too, is that okay?" "Sure."

They walked out of the small café and turned to the right, strolling further away from the café on the pavement beneath their feet. Once he saw his opportunity, he grabbed her, and tugged her into an alleyway behind a building. She started yelling at him, demanding to tell her what he was doing. He knew she would immediately get suspicious and panic, so he calmed her. He grabbed her hand and rubbed her fingers and her palm as he soothed her. "Sakura, just wait a minute. I pulled you back here so I could talk to you in private, I didn't want people to hear what I need to ask you." She gave him a questioning look, but nodded, signaling she was ok with this. "Okay Zetsu. What do you need to ask me?"

He stared at her hard, and she immediately understood the impertinence of the situation. "Zetsu…? What is it..?" She asked but quickly closed her mouth as his hand rose up. She flinched, and squeezed her eyes shut as he brought it towards her face. She was shocked when she felt him gently brush the side of her jaw with his fingertips. She winced slightly. She began to blush though, at the gentle touch, and the emotion she saw in his eyes. "How could someone ever hurt you like this…?" He whispered, his expression pained. She sucked in an air of breath in surprise. He had found out, he saw through her mask. "Sakura, who did this to you?" He asked, his voice still a pained whisper.

"I-I… M-my…" She tried to tell him, but she couldn't. Tears gathered in her eyes and flowed over her cheeks, her throat choking on its own words. He pulled her towards him gently and embraced her. He stroked her hair in a comforting gesture as she clung to him in desperation. No one had ever noticed before, she never had anyone to go to, no one to comfort her or to help her. She was locked in a cage of abuse and didn't know how to escape; she could never reach the key. "Shh, shh… Just calm down…I need you to tell me who did this to you... Sakura, I want to help you." He told her, still stroking her hair.

She slowly began to calm down and stared at him with sadness. "M-my boyfriend... He beats me, I want to leave him, but I can't… He threatens me every time I try; he knows I'm too scared of him to do it…" She said quietly, her voice hoarse from crying. Zetsu's heart clenched slightly that she was with someone, but got over it soon enough as he realized that she wanted to leave him. He still had a chance. But that didn't matter at the moment, what mattered was saving her.

"Sakura, who is your boyfriend?" He asked her, rubbing her back in circles. She had relaxed to the point where she was practically slumped against him, her head laying on his chest. It was the best feeling Zetsu had ever felt. "Sasori Akasuna..." She told him. He clenched his jaw. He knew that bastard. He went to school with him.

"Sakura, how about you stay at my place tonight? I'll help you move outta there; you can live with me for the time being if you like. I'm not going to let him hurt you ever again." He told her, his gaze determined. She nodded in agreement, that didn't sound so bad. Plus the feelings she had for Zetsu that had been recently awakening… She wanted to be with him. "Ok." She whispered. She smiled at him as he took her hand and they went to walk back to the café.

Sakura's smile quickly faded though, as her phone began to ring and she saw who it was. With shaky fingers, she pressed the answer button. "Y-yes?" She asked. "Sakura, where the fuck are you?" A harsh voice said from the other side of the line. Zetsu could immediately guess who it was. "I-I was just going to get a coffee before I came home, Sasori…" Sakura whispered. Zetsu glared at the phone in her hand. He was going to kill that bastard. "Oh really? 'Cause it sure doesn't look like it from here, Sakura. Who the fuck are you holding hands with? I can see you from here, I'm right across the street from you two. You stupid bitch. You're both going to be fucking dead." The line hung up on her. Sakura immediately began to panic.

She grabbed his hand, tugging him away from the spot, trying to run. "Zetsu, he's across the street. We need to go, we need to go right now, he'll kill you! Please, let's go, please." She said desperately, trying to pull him forward. He stood his ground. "No, Sakura. I told you I was going to help you, and I will. I'm going to protect you from that bastard no matter what." He told her, his stare hard and focused. "Zetsu, please I don't want him to hurt you!" She begged, tears in her eyes. He shook his head. "No." He said determined, as he saw a head of red hair across the street make its way towards them. He stepped forward quickly, his breath by her ear. She gasped. "I love you too much to see you like that again, Sakura." He whispered, and kissed her cheek. Tears began to stream down her face. "Please… I love you too, please..." She whispered back, pleading with him, weakly trying to tug him away. He shook his head once more.

He watched as the angry redhead made his way towards them. That bastard Sasori. Zetsu was about to give him hell. Sasori stormed over and grabbed Sakura by the hair, throwing her to the ground. "You stupid lying, whore! I'll fucking kill you!" He screamed at her, getting ready to kick her. She cried out in pain. That was the last straw for Zetsu.

He roared out as he ran forward and grabbed Sasori by the head, and forced him down like Sasori had done to Sakura. Sasori's head hit the pavement with a loud 'thud', and Zetsu was on top of him quickly. He tugged his hair roughly as he sneered at Sasori. "_I'll _be the one killing _you_ if you ever touch her again." He whispered, his words dripping with promise. Sasori's eyes widened in fear. Zetsu punched him in the face, and heard a sickening crack as Sasori's nose broke. Zetsu stood up, and went to help Sakura stand. Sasori moaned out in pain, holding his broken nose.

They heard sirens as the police quickly arrived. Thanks to the claims of witness's Zetsu and Sakura were allowed to leave, and Sasori was taken downtown to the jail. Sakura happily held Zetsu's hand as he went down to the café and told them he'd be taking the rest of the day off. He helped get her stuff from Sasori's apartment, and brought her back to his place.

They sat on the couch silently once all of her things had been moved in. She turned her head towards him and grinned. He noticed her attention was on him, so he turned his head to also look at her. "What?" He asked with an amused smile at her goofy grin. "I just love you so much." She said, the grin still plastered to her face. He laughed, and grinned back. "Well, I love you t-"He didn't get to finish, as she pounced on him, crashing her lips onto his. He made a noise in surprise, but quickly lost himself to the feeling of her soft lips. He had never felt this happy in his life.

After breaking away, he just stared at the beautiful woman lying on top of him. She nuzzled into his chest, staring up at him. He smirked, closing his eyes. "I think I could get used to this." He said, with a slight laugh. She giggled and began to doze off on top of him.

This is where she belonged. This is where she felt safe.

**Wellllll. How did you like it? I apologize for the large amount of cursing, I just wanted to give it a very angry feeling. I'm surprised at how long this turned out, almost 3000 words! I liked writing for this pairing even though I was never really a big fan of it.**

**Don't forget to review and tell me who should be next!**


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